The present invention relates generally to removal of water from a body of water, and more specifically, to maintaining a water inlet which is above the bottom of the body of water and below the surface of the body of water.
Water is frequently pumped or otherwise obtained from bodies of water for several purposes, all of which may benefit from the following invention. For example, water is pumped from lakes or ponds for irrigation purposes. One common use of irrigation is for maintaining golf course grass.
Continuing with golf course irrigation as an example, turf grasses are expensive and can be difficult to maintain. Lakes and ponds on golf courses usually have earthen bottoms and tend to accumulate silt and sediment. In addition, debris such as leaves, twigs, and even litter may accumulate on the surface of such ponds and lakes. If silt, sediment, or debris are present in the irrigation water which is applied to the turf grass, the turf grass may be damaged.
A water inlet for an irrigation system should be free of silt, sediment, and other debris to function properly and have a long, relatively problem free life. Furthermore, if the water obtained from the ponds and lakes is relatively free of such matter, the irrigation water provided to the golf course will not deposit such matter on the turf grass during the irrigation process.
Golf course irrigation systems may include a sump from which the irrigation water is obtained. The sump may be located adjacent to a body of water. A flume or water pipe may extend from the body of water into the sump. A pump may be located in the sump and connected to the water pipe. A water inlet is at the other end of the pipe which is disposed in the water body. If the water inlet is not kept free of debris, silt, and other matter, the pump system will eventually malfunction.
Many other problems associated with pumping water from a body of water are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art of water pumping. The present invention is intended to solve one or more of these problems. The present invention supports a water inlet device above the silt and sediment layer of a body of water and below the surface of the body of water. The present invention supports the water inlet device without the use of a surface float commonly used in other known systems. A preferred embodiment of the system includes a relatively rigid water pipe extending from the sump into the water body. A swivel joint is preferably connected to the end of the pipe which is in the body of water. A water inlet device may be connected to the swivel joint. The water inlet device is raised above the bottom of the body of water.
The system may further include a structure such as an anchor which is secured to the bottom of the water body and connected to the water pipe or to a component that is connected to the water pipe, e.g., an elbow pipe joint or the water inlet device. The anchor preferably helps to maintain the water inlet device raised above the bottom of the water body. The system may also include one or more floats attached to the water inlet device to provide sufficient buoyancy to raise the water inlet device off the bottom of the water body. In addition, the system may include a mechanical or electromechanical subsystem for raising or lowering the water inlet device such that the water inlet device remains above the bottom of the water body.
In addition to the novel features and advantages mentioned above, other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following descriptions of the drawings and preferred embodiments.